"It was awesome!"

Organizer Carly Procyshyn summarized the UCI Pump Track World Championship Qualifier after the Sicamous track's debut event was successfully staged on Saturday, Sept. 7. Procyshyn, also the district's tourism and economic development coordinator, reported an audience of 450 to 600 throughout the day and a total of 55 competitors registered, though only 47 actually competed.

"The discrepancy is a couple people from the U.S. didn't make it across the border," she explained. "And a couple of kids, it was just a bit too intimidating."

The final results saw riders Olivia Armstrong (26.080) from the U.S. and Niels Bensink (21.686) from the Netherlands earn tickets to the finals in Durban, South Africa on Nov. 9.after crowds enjoyed a show with "riders from five to 65," from all over.

"The feedback from the international riders was our track is so incredibly unique, it's like a riding experience because you're in the trees, you've got the caboose in the background," Procyshyn said. "It's just such a unique location versus a lot of tracks you see that are plopped out in the middle of a field."

A rave review also came from Calgary competitor Ryker Lolacher, 8, who raced in, and won, the U11 boy's event. Almost immediately after, his family then had to turn and burn as he was participating in the Alberta BMX Championships at 7 a.m. the following morning where he just missed making the finals in one of two classes.

"Ryker hasn't stopped talking about how much fun it was," Procyshyn read from an email his dad Colin Lolacher sent of the local event. "His exact words were, 'dad, who cares about that class, going to Sicamous was so worth it."

The event was worth it for the community as well, with businesses reaping the rewards from the influx of people it brought into town. 

"The economic impact that this event delivered was exactly what I had hoped for," Procyshyn said, adding that three hotels were at capacity and restaurants had lineups. "Which in a September shoulder season is huge... so right down from gas stations to the grocery store to boutique shops, they all felt the positive impact of having all these visitors in town."

With Sicamous having put in a two year bid, she hopes to see a repeat performance both on and off the track as a host for the 2025 qualifier next June. 

"I think with it such a positive showing and such a well run event that... I think they'd be silly not to give it to us again," Procyshyn said with a laugh.